I’m certain the empathy I experience is more cognitive than emotional. I empathise because I know it would be morally wrong to remain indifferent to another’s suffering. But for the life of me I cannot feel your despair. For the most part what I “feel” is pity. Once that’s out of the way, I try to provide achievable solutions to the other person’s problem.

This makes it sound like my approach to empathising is cold or calculated.... I don’t believe it comes off that way at all though. The people I communicate with always leave the conversation feeling heard and supported. They remark on how “kind” I am to lend a ear. That’s what most want. To vent their frustrations.